The People of Truth, the God-fearing

Surah Al-Baqarah Ayat 177

لَّيۡسَ ٱلۡبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّواْ وُجُوهَكُمۡ قِبَلَ ٱلۡمَشۡرِقِ وَٱلۡمَغۡرِبِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱلۡبِرَّ مَنۡ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأَخِرِ وَٱلۡمَلَـٰٓٮِٕڪَةِ وَٱلۡكِتَـٰبِ وَٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ وَءَاتَى ٱلۡمَالَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِۦ ذَوِى ٱلۡقُرۡبَىٰ وَٱلۡيَتَـٰمَىٰ وَٱلۡمَسَـٰكِينَ وَٱبۡنَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَٱلسَّآٮِٕلِينَ وَفِى ٱلرِّقَابِ وَأَقَامَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَى ٱلزَّڪَوٰةَ وَٱلۡمُوفُونَ بِعَهۡدِهِمۡ إِذَا عَـٰهَدُواْ‌ۖ وَٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ فِى ٱلۡبَأۡسَآءِ وَٱلضَّرَّآءِ وَحِينَٱلۡبَأۡسِ‌ۗ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ ٱلَّذِينَ صَدَقُواْ‌ۖ وَأُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُتَّقُونَ۞

This was one of the ayats that was discussed at our weekly Usrah.

It is an ayat where Allah SWT clearly spells out the criteria for being a dutiful person.

It begins by saying that true piety/ righteousness does not consist in turning your faces towards the east or the west.

Tafsir Al-Jalalain explains the phrase turning your faces as "in prayer".

The kitab Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi cites the following hadith for the revelation of this verse:

Said Qatadah: “It was mentioned to us that a man asked the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, about righteousness, and as an answer Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse”. He continued: “Before the obligatory duties were prescribed, a man could enter Paradise by his mere utterance of the formula of testification: 'There is no god save Allah and Muhammad is His slave and messenger', if he died believing in it. And so Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse”.

As interpreted by Muhammad Asad, the Qur'an stresses the principle that mere compliance with outward forms does not fulfil the requirements of piety.

In fact, as further expounded in this ayat, true piety, as in the dutiful person, is the one who

1. believes in God
   
2. believes in the Last Day
3. believes in the angels
4. believes in the Book, that is, the scriptures,
5. believes in the prophets,
6. who gives of his substance, however much he himself may cherish it, to kinsmen
7. similarly to orphans
8. similarly to the needy
9. similarly to the traveller*
   
10. similarly to beggars
11. who frees slaves (whether captive or bonded)
    
12. observes prayer
13. pays the alms
    
14. fulfils his covenant / promises
    
15. endures with fortitude his misfortunes
    
16. endures with fortitude his illnesses and hardship
    
17. endures with fortitude in times of peril

The ayat ends by emphasising that for those who fulfil the above, it is they that have proved themselves true, and it is they, they who are conscious of God.



[Muhammad Asad] *traveller denotes any person who is far from his home, and especially one who, because of this circumstance, does not have sufficient means of livelihood at his disposal. In its wider sense it describes a person who, for any reason whatsoever, is unable to return home either temporarily or permanently: for instance, a political exile or refugee



الله أعلم

Turning Away from the Faults of Others Part-2

Taken from http://muslimmatters.org/

The following is the 2nd part of an article-format of a timeless khutbah given by Amjad Rafiq perhaps 15 years ago. It is a khutbah that keeps giving, may Allah make this a source of great reward for the brother.The advice contained therein continues to be relevant and important, more so today than ever before. Before criticism was a bit harder because you didn’t have the internet to log on and jump right away. So, without further adieu:

PART 2

So we have mentioned three points in Part 1

Firstly : Realizing that everybody is not perfect
Secondly : How we should view ourselves
Thirdly : How we should view other Muslims.

We should all individually view ourselves as deficient and see others as being better than us. Because we all know our own faults and weaknesses but we don’t know all the faults of others except out of suspicion and that is forbidden. Therefore every Muslim should see himself as the essence of deficiency and others as being much better than him.

But do we just stop there i.e. we realize these things in our minds and that is it. No we have to actively try and to remove them and this is done by reminding ourselves of our own faults and shortcomings or making each other realize our faults and defects with sincere advice.

That is we desire nothing but reward from Allah and that a defect in a Muslim is removed. Not that we put the Muslim down and make ourselves look better.

So the FOURTH point is mutually helping each other to remove from ourselves the bad characteristics and defects we all have. by informing each other, with extreme sincerity and concern for each other. The Prophet (saws) said

“The Deen is sincerity”. The Companions said “To whom?” so the Prophet (saws) replied “To Allah, His Book, His Messenger to the leaders of the Muslims and the general people.”

So part of being sincere to other Muslims is advising them with sincerity. Advising them with what will benefit them and this includes informing them of their shortcomings so that they can remove them.

There are two points to the fourth part.

Firstly how do you tell people of their weaknesses and Secondly how do you react to someone who informs you of your faults.

It was said to a wise man : “Do you like that a man should inform you of your faults?” He said “If a man comes to me and scolds me/rebukes me ie. begins to criticize me for my faults then no. And if he comes to me with sincere advice then yes.”

So this is how advice is given out of sincerity and this is how advice is accepted when it is sincere.

Imaam Shaafi’ee (rh) said in the form poetry:

Give me your advice when I am alone
And do not advise me when I am in a group
Because advice, when it is given in front of the people is a type of criticism/rebuke.
I am not pleased in hearing it
And if you differ from me and disobey what I have said
Then do not become saddened when you are not obeyed/followed.

So he is saying that advice should be given in private not in public. In order to hide the faults of a Muslim and not to publicise them and so that the person is more likely to accept the advise.

The Prophet (saws) said

“Whoever conceals the fault of a Muslim Allah will conceal his fault on the day of Judgment”. So we give advice out of sincerity and not to criticize and we give it in private not in public.”

Some of the salaf used to say, “May Allah have mercy upon a man who guided us to our faults and shortcomings”.

Do you see this attitude?

May Allaah have mercy upon a man who guided us to our faults and shortcomings

So the earliest Muslims loved that people should inform them of their faults so they can strive to remove them and therefore become more complete and more perfect and better in the sight of Allah.

Umar (ra) stood on the pulpit in front of all the people and declared: (Laa yal’lamu ur-rajulu minnee ‘ayban illaa ‘aabahu) - If any man knows of a fault in me then let him point it out/criticize it. So a man stood up and said: Yes O Ameerul Mu’mineen. I see in you two faults…

Yet in this day and age you cannot say a word to anyone sincerely, except that he will take it personally and see it as criticism. This is a big problem which all of us have and this is what causes ill-feeling and hatred and envy, because we are too proud to admit our own faults and weaknesses and to accept advise from others.

So whoever wants to get on with other Muslims, then he should do the following:

Firstly: Look at his own weaknesses and faults before he notices and looks at those of others and to deal with people always giving them a chance and making excuses for them.

Secondly: To accept with happiness and joy, the advice of his Muslim brother, just as the earliest Muslims did and

Thirdly: to offer his sincerest advice to his Muslim brother about his faults in private, not in public to humiliate him.

So whoever wishes that Allah should show mercy and forgiveness to him and that Allah should hide his faults on the day of Judgment. Then let him put this into practice.

And whoever does not want Allah to forgive him and show mercy to him and to conceal his fault on the Day of Judgment (that Allah should forgive him) then let him continue to be heard hearted and proud of himself, thinking he is better than others and let him always look at the faults of other people and not to accept advice from others. Allah will soon punish him with what he deserves.

O Allaah guide us the best of manners to which none can guide except you and turn away from us the evil characteristics. None can turn them away except you.

When will I know that I am pious?

A man came to her Aisha (radhiallaahu `anha) and asked ‘When will I know that I am pious?’ She said, ‘When you realise that you are a sinner.’ He said, ‘And when will I know I am a sinner?’ She replied, ‘When you think you are pious.’

- Tanbeeh al-Ghafileen

Turning Away from the Faults of Others Part-1

Taken from http://muslimmatters.org/

The following is article-format of a timeless khutbah given by Amjad Rafiq perhaps 15 years ago. It is a khutbah that keeps giving, may Allah make this a source of great reward for the brother.The advice contained therein continues to be relevant and important, more so today than ever before. Before criticism was a bit harder because you didn’t have the internet to log on and jump right away. So, without further adieu:

As we know there are many ahadith stressing the excellence of having good manners, the very high status they give in the sight of Allah to the one who possesses them and how the one who possesses them reaches the level of the prophets and the martyrs and how even some of the Prophets and martyrs will envy such people.

And this is not surprising as the Prophet (saws) is authentically reported to have said “Indeed I was sent in order to complete/perfect the righteous manners or characteristics”. In another narration the Prophet (saws) said

“Indeed I was sent to complete/perfect the noble manners/qualities”

So the Messenger (saws) has linked the whole of his message to the perfection of peoples manners. The whole deen, the religion of Islam has been linked to the completion of peoples manners.

And in another hadeeth the Prophet (saws) said

“The Deen is dealing with other people”.*

Everyone of us needs to interact with other people in order to get by. To survive from day to day. Otherwise life would be very difficult.

So Allah and His Messenger, the Qur’an and the Sunnah, enjoin and call to everything which nurtures and brings about the best characteristics, manners and qualities.

This so that peoples everyday living is facilitated, made easy, enjoyable so that good feelings are made to develop and toleration of each other increases. (Qur’an 48:29)

There is one characteristic which if it exists within the Muslims then the society will have a support, a backbone and so it will continue to exist and which if it is removed then it will crumble, fall and hatred, envy, ill-feeling and dissension (divisions) will arise.

This quality is BEING TOLERANT OF THE FAULTS OF THE PEOPLE or TURNING AWAY FROM THEIR FAULTS.

To understand this quality so that we can practically bring it about and gain some benefit from it we can look at it from four aspects:

ONE: The first point is that there does not exist on this earth any person who is complete and perfect in every single respect and is free from defects. The Prophet (saws) said

“Indeed people are like camels, out of a hundred you will hardly find a single one suitable to ride.”

So this is clear indication from the Prophet (saws) that completeness is something very rare. If we have a hundred people and tried to select one of them for a particular task say leadership or giving a religious verdict then we would hardly find any one who would perform it in the most complete way.

The Prophet (saws) also said

“Let not a believing man hate a believing woman, if he dislikes one quality in her then he will be pleased with another.”

So in this hadeeth is a very important realization. That there is no Muslim who is completely wicked and evil and there is no Muslim who is perfect. In fact every one of us has some good characteristics even if they are scarce and every one of us has some bad or evil characteristics even if they only small in number.

And a poet he said in a couple of lines:

“And who is that person with whose every single quality/inherent characteristic you are pleased with?”

(where is that person? can you find one?)

It is enough to make a man noble that his defects can be counted/listed.

(the fact that a persons shortcomings can actually be listed shows his excellence)

You wish that he should be perfect without any fault.

(How many times do we say regarding our Muslim brother “Oh why is he like that? Can’t he be like this? Why doesn’t he do it this way? Anas bin Maalik (ra) said “I served the Messenger of Allah for ten years and he never said to me ‘uff’. Whenever I did something he never said to me ‘Why did you do that?’, and whenever I did not do anything he never said to me Why haven’t you done that?’.”)

And does an incense stick give off a scent/fragrance without any smoke.

(That is even an incense stick, although it gives off something good something which is pleasing that is the fragrance, it also gives of smoke which is like a defect.)

So the first point every Muslim should teach himself is that no one is perfect and people: within them there is some good and some evil.

The one who realizes this will be the most patient in his dealings with the people and the least worried and annoyed. Whoever meets his brother realizing this point and fully understanding it will be the most patient of people in his dealings with others. He will be the least harmed and worried and annoyed. His heart will be firm and stable and calm.

The one who does not realise this point he will be the most annoyed the most anxious and worried person. His heart will always be moving here and there. He will always see peoples faults and never see their good points and this will
annoy him and he will always be worried when he deals with other people.

The second and third point we will look at together as they are related and they are:

TWO: How should a Muslim view himself. i.e look at his own self and to see what he is worth?

THREE: How should a Muslim look at others?

The best place to look for these two points is the companions and the people of the past because they possess an excellence which none other than them have.

The Prophet (saws) said:

“The best generation is my generation, then those that follow them, then those that follow them”.

So this is an indication from the Prophet (saws) that the best people to turn to in order to see Eemaan and Islam being practised is the first three generations.

It is reported that Abdullah Ibn Mas’ood said

“If you knew what I know about myself then you would have thrown dust over my face”.

This is a sign of extreme sincerity to himself and lack of pride and arrogance. It shows his acknowledgment of his faults and shortcomings. How many of us could admit such a thing to even one to one of his friends let alone a group of them? Which one of us would have enough courage and truthfulness to admit that?

One of our Salaf (Pious Predecessors) Bikr bin Abdillaahi al-Muznee used to say

“When you see one who is older than you then hold him in respect and say: ‘Indeed he has preceded/gone ahead of me in Islam and good deeds and when you see one who is younger than you then hold him in respect and say to yourself: ‘Indeed I have preceded him/gone ahead of him in sins.”

Isn’t this beautiful advice?

Listen also very carefully to the following:

Some of the salaf (the Muslims from the first three generations) used to say:

“One of you knows all his own faults and mistakes and he still likes himself, prefers himself (over others) yet he dislikes his Muslim brother on account of suspicion. So where then is the ‘Aql, (intellect, sanity)?”

That is each one of us knows his own mistakes and faults along with all his sins and he still does not hate himself for that. He still is satisfied with himself, likes himself and prefers himself to others.

But when he sees someone making a mistake or what he thinks is a mistake because he doesn’t know the intention of the person, he dislikes him, he feels in a bad way about him and all of this purely on suspicion and yet at the same
time he is aware of all his own faults and mistakes.

So whenever you look at another Muslim then follow the advice that was mentioned before. Bring to mind your own faults and weaknesses and this will put you in your place. If we all do this it will make us humble and merciful to other
Muslims just as Allah has mentioned :

Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and those who are with him are strong against the disbelievers and compassionate amongst each other(48:29)

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* A disputing comment

Abd- Allah said:

Assalam Alaikum

This hadith (“The Deen is dealing with other people”) is not true and has no basis, meaning it is not a hadith, so we should not attribute it to the prophet peace be upon him.

If you can also provide references for the other ahadiths, that would be good.

Jazakum Allah wa Baraka feekum!

Sebab-sebab Keresahan Hidup

1. Lemahnya iman seseorang yang tidak yakin dengan baraqah Allah

2. Percampuran antara iman dan syirik

• menganggap patut perkara yang tidak patut dan sebaliknya
• mengenepi orang-orang tidak berpengaruh
  

3. Kurang kesedaran bahawa dalam usaha manusia ada ketentuan Allah

- Hadis Nabi: Dunia berdiri kerana 4 faktor

• Ilmunya para ilmuan
• Keadilan para pemimpin
• Kemurahan orang-orang dermawan
• Doa-doa orang-orang fakir miskin
  

4. Kurang umat islam yang menghayati kehidupan secara Islam seperti:

• solat berjemaah di rumah
• baca Al-Quran di rumah
• makan bersama di rumah
• bergotong-royong di rumah

5. Kurang perhatian ibu-bapa kepada ilmu dan pendidikan ugama terhadap anak-anak dan diri sendiri

- Antara sebab-sebab anak-anak bermasalah:

• faktor didikan - terlalu kasar, terlalu lembut
• faktor lingkungan
• faktor pergaulan
• faktor pemakanan
• faktor keturunan

- Prioriti ilmu pengetahuan dalam Islam mengikut umur kanak-kanak

• Aqidah - 4 tahun - 5 tahun
• Akhlaq - 6 tahun - 7 tahun
• Ibadat - 7 tahun - 10 tahun
• Akademik - 10 tahun keatas
• Ilmu Berdikari - remaja
  

6. Kebebasan pergaulanyang tidak didasari atas keimanan

7. Terlalu mendewa-dewakan ilmu pengetahuan teknologi tanpa sokongan iman

8. Pengaruh makanan dan minuman haram dari segi Islam

9. Kurangnya bersyukur dengan nikmat Allah

• cara qalbi
• cara lisan
• cara amal

10. Adanya penyakit rohani yang membahayakan dan merosakkan peribadi

11. Terlalu diselubungi perasaan bersalah terhadap dosa yang telah lalu

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Nota Tazkirah Ustaz Sihabuddin

For People who use their Reason

Notes from our Tafseer lesson at last night's usrah - Surah Al-Baqarah ayats 163 - 166



Muhammad Asad Translation (to be read together with his explanation)

(2: 163) AND YOUR GOD is the One God: there is no deity save Him, the Most Gracious, the Dispenser of Grace.

(2: 164) Verily, in the creation of the heavens and of the earth, and the succession of night and day: and in the ships that speed through the sea with what is useful to man: and in the waters which God sends down from the sky, giving life thereby to the earth after it had, been lifeless, and causing all manner of living creatures to multiply thereon: and in the change of the winds, and the clouds that run their appointed courses between sky and earth: [in all this] there are messages indeed for people who use their reason.

*This passage is one of the many in which the Qur'an appeals to "those who use their reason" to observe the daily wonders of nature, including the evidence of man's own ingenuity ("the ships that speed through the sea"), as so many indications of a conscious, creative Power pervading the universe.

(2: 165) And yet there are people who choose to believe in beings that allegedly rival God,* loving them as [only] God should be loved: whereas those who have attained to faith love God more than all else. If they who are bent on evildoing could but see - as see they will when they are made to suffer** [on Resurrection Day] -that all might belongs to God alone, and that God is severe in [meting out] punishment!

* Lit., "there are among the people such as take [to worshipping] compeers beside God". Regarding the term andad, see note 13 on verse 22 of this surah.
** Lit., "when they see the suffering" (or "chastisement").

(2: 166) [On that Day] it will come to pass that those who had been [falsely] adored* shall disown their followers, and the latter shall see the suffering [that awaits them], with all their hopes** cut to pieces!

*Lit., "followed" -i.e., as saints or alleged "divine personalities".
** Asbdb (sing. sabab) denotes, in its primary meaning, "ties" or "attachments", and in a tropical sense, "means [towards any end]" (cf. Lisdn al-'Arab, and Lane IV, 1285). In the above context, asbdb obviously refers to means of salvation, and may thus be rendered as "hopes".
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There are 3 differences between the attributes of Rahman and Rahim

Rahman - Beneficent

1. is bestowed upon all mankind,
   
2. is limited to life on earth only,
   
3. and is mainly based on justice, as per the Arab proverb Man jadda wajada which is the equivalent of As you sow so shall you reap
   

Rahim - Merciful

1. is bestowed only on people who had attained the faith (mukminin)
2. extends to the hereafter
3. and is based on nikmat (joy), although those who were not bestowed Rahman on Earth is not necessarily precluded from Rahim in the Hereafter
   

The orders of love in Islam:

1. Muhabbatul Usla - the highest; that is love for Allah and his Rasul
2. Muhabbatul UsTa - love for duniawi and its contents for the sake of Allah
3. Muhabbatul Adna - love for duniawi and its contents but not for the sake of Allah

In the Hereafter, intercessors will intercede for the sinners. The major intercession (syafa'at) will be from Allah whilst minor syafa'at can be from:

1. Rasulullah to his ummah
2. Child to his parents
3. Teacher to his pupil
4. Deeds to the do-er
   
5. Istighfar and Taubah to the repentant

Allahu a'lam

Penyakit Rohani

Perbandingan dengan Penyakit Jasmani

Jasmani: Pesakit lebih merasai penyakitnya
Rohani: Orang lain lebih merasai penyakitnya (dengki, sombong)

Jasmani: Perlu rawatan doktor dan disembuh dengan ubat
Rohani: Perlu rawatan ustaz dan disembuh dengan nasihat

Jasmani: Efek setakat di dunia
Rohani: Efek di dunia dan akhirat
_________________________________________________________________

Rohani terang apabila kita:

1. ikut Al-Quran dan Sunnah
2. mencantikkan akhlaq
3. membanyakkan ibadah
4. amal ma'aruf nahi munkar
5. bersabar apabila

   • menghadapi ujian
   • berdakwah
   • bergaul
   • dalam nikmat
   • dalam taat
   • berjihad
   • berdepan dengan maksiat

Kelebihan orang sabar:

1. menambah pahala ibadah
2. solat orang sakit 2 kali ganda orang sihat
3. menghapuskan dosa
4. menguatkan iman

Hadis Nabi SAW:
“Ujian yang tidak henti-hentinya menimpa kaum Mukmin lelaki dan perempuan, yang menimpa dirinya, hartanya, anaknya, akan tetapi ia tetap bersabar, ia akan menemui Allah dalam keadaan tidak berdosa.” (HR Tarmidzi)

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Nota Tazkirah Ustaz Sihabuddin

Penyakit Rohani - Hasad Dengki, Sombong, Riyak

Sebulan sekali dalam siri usrah mingguan kami, Ustaz akan membincangkan topik penyakit rohani seperti yang terdapat dalam kitab berjudul "Penyakit Rohani dan Rawatannya dalam Islam" tulisan Drs. Hanafi Mohamed.

Penulis tersebut telah menyenaraikan 13 jenis penyakit rohani yang melanda jiwa manusia, iaitu:-

1. Hasad Dengki
2. Sombong
3. Riyak
4. Fitnah (Namimah)
5. Mengumpat
6. Zalim (Kejam)
7. Dusta
8. Marah
9. Mencaci Maki
10. Bakhil (Kikir)
11. Mungkir Janji
12. Cintakan Dunia
13. Munafiq (Nifaq)

Setakat ini, perbincangan kami telahpun meliputi 3 penyakit tersebut.

Hasad Dengki
Suatu sikap manusia yang tidak senang atas kenikmatan, kesenangan atau kelebihan yang diperoleh orang lain. Lanjutan daripada itu ia berusaha untuk menghilangkan kenikmatan itu agar berpindah ke tangannya sendiri.

Sifat ini boleh menyuburkan perasaan dendam, permusuhan, busuk hati terhadap orang lain.

Sabda Rasulullah
Jauhilah diri kamu dari hasad dengki kerana hasad itu memakan amal kebajikan sebagaiman api memakan kayu (H.R. Abi Daud dripada Abu Hurairah)

Menurut Imam Al-Ghazali, perasaan hasad dengki mendatangkan 7 perbuatan tercela, iaitu:

1. suka kepada permusuhan
2. perasaan kemuliaan diri
3. takbur
4. mengagumi diri sendiri
5. takut hilang cita-cita dan keinginan
6. suka menjadi ketua
7. jiwa jahat dan kikir

Sombong
Dapat diklasifikasikan kepada 3 aspek

• sombong terhadap Allah SWT - enggan mematuhi segala hukum dan perintahnya
• sombong terhadap Rasul - enggan mematuhi dan menolak kebenaran ajaran yang disampaikannya
• sombong terhadap manusia - mementingkan diri sendiri dan bangga dengan segala yang dimilikkinya seperti kekayaan, pangkat, keturunan, kepandaian, kecantikan, umur/usia.

Sifat sombong dapat dilihat apabila seseorang itu mengamalkan perbuatan seperti berikut:

1. merendahkan darjat orang lain
2. suka memuji diri sendiri
3. suka menghina dan mengutuk orang lain
4. suka membazirkan harta benda
5. menjauhi orang yang tidak setaraf kedudukannya
6. memalingkan muka apabila berjumpa
7. bakhil mengeluarkan harta ke jalan Allah

Firman Allah (Surah Luqman: 18)
Janganlah engkau memalingkan mukamu kepada manusia dan janganlah engkau berjalan di muka bumi dengan berlagak sombong, sesungguhnya Allah tidak suka kepada orang sombong dan bangga diri.

Sabda Rasulullah:
Tidak akan masuk syurga orang yang di dalam hatinya seberat biji sawi daripada sifat sombong. Dan tidak akan masuk neraka orang yang di dalam hatinya seberat sebiji sawi daripada iman (H.R. Muslim daripada Ibnu Mas'ud)


Riyak
Pada hakikatnya seseorang yang melakukan riyak bertujuan untuk menampakkan dirinya kepada orang lain agar diketahui kehebatannya, kebaikannya, perjuangannya, dan amalnya.

Saidina Ali bin Abu Talib berkata:
Orang yang bersifat riya' mempunyai 3 tanda:

1. malas apabila bersendirian
2. rajin apabila di kalangan orang ramai
3. menambahkan amal apabila dipuji dan dikurangkan apabila dicela

Firman Allah (Surah Al-Baqarah 264):
Wahai orang-orang yang beriman! Jangan rosakkan (pahala amal) sedekah kamu dengan perkataan membangkit-bangkit dan (kelakuan yang) menyakiti, seperti (rosaknya pahala amal sedekah) orang yang membelanjakan hartanya kerana hendak menunjuk-nunjuk kepada manusia (riak), dan ia pula tidak beriman kepada Allah dan hari akhirat. Maka bandingan orang itu ialah seperti batu licin yang ada tanah di atasnya, kemudian batu itu ditimpa hujan lebat, lalu ditinggalkannya bersih licin (tidak bertanah lagi). (Demikianlah juga halnya orang-orang yang kafir dan riak itu) mereka tidak akan mendapat sesuatu (pahala) pun dari apa yang mereka usahakan. Dan (ingatlah), Allah tidak akan memberi petunjuk kepada kaum yang kafir.

Sabda Rasulullah:
Sesuatu yang paling aku khuatirkan di antara kamu ialah syirik kecil, lalu ditanyakan oleh sahabat, apakah syirik kecil itu, ya Rasulullah? Kemudian baginda bersabda: Iaitu riyak (H.R. Ahmad dan Al-Baihaqi)

Menurut Imam al-Ghazali, sifat riyak manusia melibatkan

1. tubuh
2. ucapan
3. perbuatan
4. pakaian
5. pengikut/pengaruh

الله أعلم

Surah Al-Rahman - The Beneficient

Follow the verse with translation here (Right-click and Open Link in New Tab)

Reminders of Saigon (Ho Chih Minh City)

I was on a quick get-away to Saigon in Vietnam from 29/03/2009 to 1/04/2009.


The Air Asia flight out was delayed 4 whole hours, finally departing at about 9.00 pm. An interesting chat with a couple of Malaysian businessmen at the waiting area killed the anxiety, somewhat.


We landed at 10.00pm local time. Although further east than peninsular Malaysia, Saigon is one hour behind. Subuh was between 4.43 am and 5.49 am, and Maghrib at 6.09 pm.



We were taken by the travel agent to the Four Seasons Restaurant on Thi Sách street, Saigon for dinner. It's run by a Champa Muslim and serves halal food. There was quite a spread, but we were already too tired (already 12 midnight Malaysian) to have it all. They had waited for us too although it was past their closing time.




We stayed at the Ramana Hotel, which was near to the airport. We were dismayed to discover that it no longer runs a halal kitchen after a recent change of management. So no meat for us there.


First day was shopping day, starting with Champa lady, Hajjah Basirah, stopping by at the hotel with stocks of telekongs, embroidered handicrafts, tudungs etc to sell. One of our party had ordered some hundreds of handcrafted purses beforehand for her daughter's wedding. I bought some stuff too - USD80.00 worth, mainly telekongs and tudungs for the family.

Note: In a city of 10 million, there is a community of about 50,000 Champa (from Cambodia) Muslims.



A stop at a shop for busana muslim for bahwal tudungs, cotton telekongs and linen blouses,





before proceeding to Ben Thanh Market where we went crazy over fake Kiplings. Also got some T-shirts.




Total damage at Mai's and Ben Thanh was USD76.00


Lunch was at Lion City Restaurant, a halal joint with a Singaporean chef, Nicholas, who whipped up a mean kway teow soup and fried rice, as well. The ustaz (in the business card) was the one who gave us the solat schedule above.




After a relaxation therapy at a local spa, we headed back to the hotel in time for our jama' solats.

Next day we were off to the Cu Chi tunnels and the Mekong Delta.